aironscott

Read this ad for an instructor that must be WILLING to jump Strongs. http://www.dropzone.com/cgi-bin/classifieds/detail_page.cgi?ID=54798;d=1 Its all you need to know. There are so many of us out there experienced with Vectors and Strongs (and others) that will not use Strongs again in its current configuration. Although I do look forward to seeing the Elan tandem rig. But for now Dual Hawks, SETs, and Masters all suck. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I'm guessing that the best place to fly in will be Charlotte? Maybe get a few people together and rent a car there? Steve - you can make it. From what I hear most of your students don't show up to class anyway. Too bad if you can't - you'll be missing out. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Mel- I'm in. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I suggest that you make sure that your rigger wasn't trying to pull your leg. If they seriously stand by their suggestion I suggest that you find a new rigger. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Don't get me wrong. There are a few video guys that I look forward to jumping with on tandems. David Hoyt, Chris Pope, Roland Barksdale, Ash White, and Willspeed. None of them are TIs to my knowledge. Other than Hoyt I haven't jumped with any of them in a few years. But I'd love to tomorrow. That being said, there is quite a list of TIs that I would also love to have lurk a tandem that I'm on because I know that they know the deal. And it would be fun for me and my student if they were along. I can't say the same for experienced RW people or AFFI's (of the non-TMI type). (Although there are a few of them out there that I like to jump with). If you are jumping with a TMI that needs to have a safety jumper along you should re-think wheather or not it's a good idea for them to be doing a tandem in the first place. The student is counting on the TMI to be able to get them safely (and funly) from 12 or 13k to the ground. If someone else goes along, they are counting on me to make sure that everybody is going to be safe. Sometimes it's very hard to gaurntee that safety when a third party is involved. Obviously there are no gaurntees, but I try to make it as close to one as possible... but that's just me. Stick around this sport long enough and you'll watch someone go in. Be a rigger long enough and you find a table total. Its just the way it is. Safety first. Fun and comfort are very distant seconds. That's they way it's got to be. Bounce enough students through stupidity and this will all go away. No shit. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Even if you were on those 300-way loads, you're most likely not jumping with me if I'm doing a tandem. I've adopted a no RW policy with tandems. Only took me a few thousand tandems to make it carte blanche (guess maybe I'm too much of an optimist). Hell, I'm to the point now that I ask to not jump with outside video anymore if possible. Although I will occasionally jump with a fellow respected TI if the student is someone that they are asking me to jump with. Too many people think that tandem skydiving is "just another skydive". It ain't by a long shot. Too many TI's think that tandems are mindless "meat-hauling" jumps. Their turn for an opinion changing experience is coming. And complacencey by all parties involved, kills. The probalem is that we're idiot proofing tandems... and skydiving. It used to be that we didn't need drouges. All of us agree that drouges are the single greatest thing to ever come to tandem skydiving. But the people that were doing tdms before drouges were straight up good and tough. If they weren't they got darwined fast. Now days almost anyone can get their tandem rating and go to work. We've got butt straps and Y straps and AADs and etc., etc., etc. Why? Because as we've dumbed down the sport more and more and the general population (idiots) are able to get qualified to do it. Then they somehow live to get their 500 jumps and 3 years in sport. Then they find a way to fuck up a RSL so that now we need a skyhook. But progress is good. No shit. In my youth I wore goggles and a t-shirton tandems. Sometimes shorts (if it was with a dude). Now there is a Jack hook knife on my pants and a hard helmet on my head, and gloves on my hands even in August. But whatever, you all can do as you please. It is stupid to do RW with a tandem unless you are an experienced TMI. Even the experienced AFFI without having TMI experience doesn't belong on a TDM load. Take it for what its worth. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Clint- The 96 sony is working great. $650 at cameraworld.com By the way, Oden says to piss off. Tell RedEye to give me a call. You still looking for help for the MOAB? I'd like to have an excuse to get out of work for a weekend. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Mel- You can most likely count me in. When you get dates nailed down let me know and I'll secure some time off of the real job. One of you have to administer my pratical for a seat rating though. Any chance I get to sponge some info off that cadre I'd be crazy not to take it. Do you know Wierd Wayne Snyder well enough to bring him on board? He'd be an asset for sure. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Mel- I love the idea of the course, especially with the goal of constructing a small parachute by the end of it. Are you going to do this at your loft? Could a person choose which modules to attend? Or would they be too interrelated to miss parts. Vacation time is very valuable. However, if you can book DeWolf I'd go the whole time for sure. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Congratulations Dave. That was your 10,000th post. You are officially a Super Dork. Well done. “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Since when is 16 legal for tandems? “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Terry you hit it on the head. The difference between the Japanese and Chinese made Singers is the difference. A Japanese made machine has historically been much tighter than the Chinese made versions. And that's important to know when purchasing a 20u, especially when considering purchasing an older machine. That being said the Chinese are closing the gap in the quality of their manufacturing. For instance, Consew is moving towards more manufacturing of their machines in China. It's cheaper for them and recently the quality has been moving up to Consew's standards. Plenty of people will tell you that they love their 20u. Personally I'm partial to the Bernina 217. Others will tell you that they are down with the Consew 199. Between the three the 20u is a distant third in my book. The other issue is finding any of these machines at a reasonable price. If you try to go to your local industrial sewing machine shop you will be hard pressed to talk them out of any of these for under $1500. But then again, when you find a good 304 machine that works for you it is worth its weight in gold. Your best bet is to do your research and be patient. One will come your way eventually if you keep your eyes and ears open. If I was allowed only have one sewing machine in my loft it would be a Bernina. Preferrably with a cam attachment. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Not a fucking thing. Is USPA management so egotistical that they think that they actually have that much influence over the common jumper anyway? If so, good luck with that. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

My charges kind of depend on the maket that I'm working in. When the market rate is $50 then that's what I charge. If the market rate is $35, well then I charge $45, but that's cuz even at $50 I feel that I'm underpaid. I have no problem with proficient riggers charging what they think that our service is worth. That being said, most rigs that I get that have been packed by the "local rigger" or "Marana" need some SB or sewing or safety stow or whatever. I charge for those things. The price list that I stick to is alwayse with me at the dz so people know what they are getting charged for. When people use the discount rigger down the street I get a kick out of when they ask me to tighten up their pilot chute or -fill in the blank here-. I have at least $10,000 invested in sewing machines not to mention all of $$ in the materials that I keep on hand so that I can provide service to people that come to me in need of rigging. Those extra $5, $10, $30 charges go to offsetting my cash outlays in the tools that are needed to accomplish my trade. And like was said earlier in this thread, I too do a fair amount of work where the price is a 6-pack or lunch or pics from my favorite camera guy for my "I love me" wall. The barter system works some times amongst friends. See some of you in Reno Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Bag strip. It is a very real and potentially lethal issue. Does it make a skyhook equiped rig less safe? I don't think so. But I'm still on the fence with the skyhook. Part of me thinks that it is overkill. A RSL should be enough. But I've also watched some of my bros cut away a Sorcerer and have a canopy right now and that has impressed me. But you do loose the crystal ball on tandem rigs if they are skyhook equiped. Personally I like having the ability to pull the reserve from the right hand side. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I'd rather just do hand-cam. That eliminates any safety issues that come with outside video. But, since that's not the topic of this thread....... Usually I'll land out with the video if they have selected an acceptable landing area. It's not my first and only skydive. It is my customer's and they paid good money for that video. The way I figure it is if I can't safely land out in a field or a graveyard or wherever I probably can't land safely on the dz either. Obviously if the video person lands safely in the sewer pond I'm going to choose an alternate safe landing area. But, then again, I do have a strong desire to never land in a sewer pond. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

You might want to consult your local rigger. Aaron Your local rigger “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

You know, after a few dozen repeats, I would have taken up bowling.... I would have put on a helmet. Congrats man! “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

You also forgot Sigmas. “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

The W26 is a 28 stitch bartacker. Well, at least most of them are. Industry standard for lines is a 42 stitch bartack. That being said I've yet to see a 28 stitch fail because it was lacking the extra 14 stitches. They are servicable machines that are reasonable in price with lots of spare parts out there. If I had to make a choice between using a 269 or a zig zag (for lines) I would choose the bartacker every time. Hope this helps. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Fuck Wings. “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

Travis- You raise several good points. I get paid that 1$/lb heavy fee where I'm at now. I also get to use my tandem rig 90% of the jumps I do. Many of our other tandem I's are smart enough to realize that the extra $$$ ain't worth the extra weighted students. Me...not that smart. However the heavy fees do help offset the extra wear and tear on the rig. The main on my rig needs a lot of upkeep and repairs. Luckily for me I don't charge myself much for repairs. But there is a HUGE difference on the wear and tear on my rig and the rigs that don't regularly get used for the heavys. So its six in one and a half dozen in the other as to wether to take the biguns or not from that stand point. As for pushing the comfort level, there have been days where the wind is 18-22 with an Otter and I'm doing 275+ all day long. Other days the density altitude is way high with no winds and I'm reluctant to take anyone over 200lbs. Like I said, you raise very good points. We all have gone through those thought processes that you have iterated here. The important thing is to realize where your limits really are and then to stick within them. "Here, hold my beer....watch this!" Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I think that it's important to review the SB as Slotperfect has posted the link to here. What the SB says is that acceptable bartacks are down the middle of the fingertrap on the cascade. Anything else must be repaired (replaced). Many a Swift+ has come into the loft that has needed bartack replacements in accordance with the SB. Note that this is Mandatory. No wiggle room. Even though I have yet to find a flawed bartack to fail, the replacement is nonetheless mandatory. What is a surprise to me is how many rigger have never even heard of 9401 and missed it over the years. There is a Swift+ in my loft right now that requires bartack replacements that had been packed by the local master rigger for almost a decade. Its not the first and won't be the last. Keep your eyes open people. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

This is something that I don't see people doing enough of. A simple adjustment of the student underneeth you by grabbing their hips and moving them stops virtually any turn. I get a crack out of watching TIs dive to one side or the other to counter turns. I cringe when I see examiners teaching the dive to the side method. You gonna hold that position through the opening? I also hook the legs for the opening. Something about watching those feet fly up over their heads gives me the heebie geebies. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”

I'm with you Bosco. I was reading all of the above posts and thinking the same as you were. It makes it soo much easier if you fix the student up top. Easier on the TI, easier on the Camera Person, and easier during opening. To all reading this...... flying your body is important to be able to do but its much better if you fly both bodies. Aaron “God Damn Mountain Dew MotherFuckers!”